Cuddles
by EsmeAmelia
Summary: Just a simple, sappy story where Leia comes home late on a cold night and finds Han waiting for her.


AN: Everyone knows I don't own Star Wars. Anyway, this was a fic request by Clarity-Art on DeviantArt to go with one of her drawings of Leia and Han cuddling on the couch while under a blanket (it's a super cute drawing). Here comes a nice sappy moment. PS: Happy Star Wars Rebels Premiere Day!

"Cuddles"

By EsmeAmelia

Leia was late getting home from work again. Han supposed he should be used to this after six years of being married to one of the most prominent politicians in the New Republic, but tonight happened to be one of the coldest nights of the year. Hell, maybe it was one of the coldest nights in Coruscant history. He was wearing long-sleeved pajamas and a thick bathrobe, wrapped up in a blanket as he sat on the couch halfheartedly watching the holovid, but he still shivered. He stuck his hands up his sleeves in an attempt to warm them up, but that did little to help, even when he reached up to his armpits.

A quick glance at the wall chronometer revealed that it was past midnight. Over three hours since he'd put the kids to bed, over three hours he'd been waiting for his wife. Why didn't he just go to bed himself after the children settled down?

Maybe because he didn't feel like sleeping in an empty bed tonight.

Time passed. Han dozed without completely falling asleep, drifting in and out, in and out, always dimly aware of the holovid's garble.

Then came the sound of the door sliding open, which jolted Han fully awake. In one swift movement, he threw the blanket off and rushed towards the door where his beautiful wife was entering, strands of stray hair peeking out of her braids.

"Han?" she exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd still be up."

Han shrugged. "Well maybe I wanted to welcome you home?"

With that husband and wife wrapped their arms around each other and their lips met in a passionate kiss that Han probably would have liked to last a good long while, but Leia pulled out prematurely. "Not tonight," she said. "I'm sorry, but I'm exhausted."

"Fine," said Han. "So, how did the political arena treat you today?"

Leia gave a small groan. "Well, I _think _the trade dispute between Malistair and Rodia is _finally _settled, but I'm not betting on it. Probably tomorrow they'll be shouting at each other again and it will be up to me to figure out an agreement." She took a deep breath. "Anyway, I'd like to get out of these clothes."

"Sure," said Han, stepping aside to let Leia through, her senate robes dragging behind her. He gazed after her as she made her way to the bedroom, her shoulders slumped, her arms hanging limply by her sides.

. . .

When Leia returned to the living room, she was wearing her dark blue robe, though her hair was still in two folded braids. Han suddenly felt an urge to play with those braids, but if he did so he would drop the hot cup of tea he was holding.

"Hey hon," he said with a smile. "I made you some Nubian tea."

Leia practically collapsed on the sofa, but she did manage to smile up at her husband. "Thanks," she said, "that's just what I need." She glanced over at the holovid as he handed her the cup. "What were you watching?"

Han glanced in the same direction, where it looked like late-night news was playing. "Not exactly sure. I kinda had it on as background while I waited for you."

Leia raised the tea to her lips and blew on it, creating small ripples in the liquid. "So why _did _you wait for me? Usually you're in bed and snoring away when I come home late."

Han shrugged as he turned the holovid off and his wife took a sip. "I dunno, I didn't want to go to bed for some reason."

Leia nearly spat out her tea. "You _didn't want_ to go to bed? Are you feeling all right?"

Han gathered the blanket up and sat next to his wife. "Well, I feel better now that you're home." He spread the blanket over their laps. "It's damn cold, maybe I didn't want to get into bed without some extra body heat."

Leia grinned at him before taking another sip of tea. "It started to snow on the way home. Maybe we'll be lucky and my meetings will be cancelled tomorrow."

"Well you could always take the day off - or are you worried the galaxy's gonna fall apart without you?"

Leia merely sipped the tea again, bringing Han's attention to the large heart on the mug. "Remember how I gave that cup to you?" he asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Leia murmured, gazing down into the drink. "Remember how you almost dropped it when you gave it to me?"

"Hey, I wasn't gonna drop it," said Han.

"Oh yes, you were," Leia said with her mischievous grin, raising the mug a little. "I remember how you just _rushed _in with that little present that looked like it had been wrapped in two minutes."

"Hey, are you sayin' I can't wrap gifts?"

"No," said Leia, "just that you might hurry a bit."

Instead of responding, Han kissed his wife's cheek, feeling her icy skin against his lips. "Damn Leia, you've gotta be freezing."

Leia gave a tiny shrug. "The tea helps." She put the cup on the sofa next to her and leaned against her husband. "So how did the kids treat you today?"

Han found himself chuckling a little. "Well, the twins wanted to play ball in the apartment, so I was chasing after them for a while. Then all three of 'em decided they wanted to go to the zoo and when I told them it was too cold they started cryin', so to cheer them up I ordered dinner delivery, which included a big box of cookies." He grinned sheepishly at his wife as she cocked her head at him. "Hey, it calmed them down."

Leia yawned, resting her head on his shoulder. "They went to bed all right?"

"Yup," said Han. "After I read 'em three or four stories."

Leia gave a content smile. "How did I ever get a scoundrel who was so good with kids?"

"Just lucky, I guess," said Han, grinning as he pulled the blanket up over their shoulders, enveloping them in warmth.

"Mmm, that feels good," said Leia, her eyelids drooping as she sank her head further into Han's shoulder. Within a few minutes, her eyes were completely shut and the only sounds to be heard were the wind slapping the windows and Leia's slow, steady breathing.

Han's shoulder began tingling from his wife's weight, but he found himself unwilling to wake her up. Despite the growing numbness in his shoulder, the rest of him felt warm and comfortable, as if the blanket was a sanctuary from the cold outside.

Soon his eyes started drooping as well, but he didn't try to resist. He snuggled up against his wife, yawning as his eyes fully closed. What was it about her presence that made things go from freezing to blissful in such a short time?

In a few minutes Han was asleep, his head resting on his wife's, the blanket enclosing both their bodies. The next morning their necks would be sore and Han's shoulder would be in pain, but neither would regret the night spent together under the blanket.

THE END


End file.
